Sports

Shea Trujillo, 17, rides a wave during Holcim River Board Freestyle event on Friday at the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival at Centennial Park. Trujillo won the event. (Brandon Hopper / Daily Record)

Shea Trujillo, 17, won the Holcim River Board Freestyle event on Friday at the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival at Centennial Park. (Brandon Hopper / Daily Record)

With the birth of the whitewater park came the birth of Shea Trujillo's river boarding career.

On Friday, she won the crowd and the Holcim River Board Freestyle best trick competition, the opening event to the sixth annual Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival at Centennial Park.

"Once this was built, there were a couple boards at a thrift store," the 17-year-old said. "There were just a couple boogie boards so we got them, tried it and came down here and tried it out that year. We just continued doing it with the family."

Friday was her third year competing in the event and her first time winning it. She did numerous tricks to get the crowd excited — even giving them the universal "rock on" symbol as time was running low. The crowd judged the event based on its cheering. One trick she repeatedly worked on during practice and the event was a complete side roll, she also did many no-hands tricks to beat her lone competitor.

The water level was 1,940 cubic feet per second, as measured a few miles up the river at the Parkdale location. Last year on this day, the river was below 1,000 cfs.

"This level is harder. Last year, the water was real low so it was easy to do whatever, I could do whatever I wanted," said Trujillo, who attends school at Horizons Exploratory Academy in Salida but lives in Canon City. "It would just keep you in there."

Today, will be full of events and the RGWF lasts until 11:15 p.m. A number of competitions — happening in and out of the Arkansas River — offer a variety of challenges for whitewater enthusiasts and competitors of all levels.

"Whether it's the Whitewater Adventure Race, the youth adventure race, the bike races or any of the other competitions, there is something that anybody can do," co-chairman Kyle Horne said. "All they have to do is show up; we provide everything they need."

The festival also features a variety of food vendors, music and a live auction Saturday evening.

The RGWF is a fundraiser for Fremont Adventure Recreation, Fremont Community Foundation, Cañon City Park & Recreation District and Whitewater Kayak & Recreation Park.

"All the proceeds stay in our community, and we want to raise as much money as we can," Horne said. "It goes toward river restoration, Whitewater Park improvements, different charities, trail expansion and park improvements."

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